Careers in health care, education, and digital services are set to be among the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia this year, according to a new report released Tuesday.
LinkedIn’s inaugural Jobs on the Rise report points to a surge in demand for medical professionals, teachers, and creatives in 2021, as the coronavirus changes the face of the region’s jobs landscape. To be sure, the study — a special edition of the site’s annual emerging jobs report — also notes continued demand for technical specialists, such as data analysts and engineers.
But LinkedIn’s Feon Ang, vice president of talent and learning solutions for Asia-Pacific, said the findings indicate a change in direction this year. “These (trends) have emerged in direct relation to the global pandemic, and reflect the current landscape around us,” Ang said.
For its report, the professional networking site tracked the growth in listings for over 15,000 job titles to identify those that increased the most in 2020 compared to the previous year. Those titles were then grouped into 15 major career trends for various markets globally, including the US.
In particular, Ang highlighted the rise of medical roles. They include not only work for frontline medical staff like doctors and nurses, but also social workers and mental health professionals. Elsewhere, the rapid rate of digitalization — for instance, the shift to online retail due to lockdowns — has opened up new roles in e-commerce and supply chain. Those trends, in turn, have led businesses to implement new digital technologies, resulting in a surge in demand for software and cybersecurity specialists.
“These growing jobs demonstrate that there are still various opportunities for job seekers with a range of skills and experience,” said Ang. She added that they also present opportunities for career changers, or those newly out of work, to shift into growing industries, for instance by learning new skills online. “By adopting a lifelong learning mindset, and picking up new skills or honing their current ones, workers can prepare themselves to take up these emerging roles.”
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Based on LinkedIn’s report, here are the 15 biggest career categories of 2021, including the most in-demand positions and main skills required for each role.
| No | Category | Specific Roles | Skills Required |
| 1 | Healthcare/Medical – Support | Medical Technologist, Pharmacy Technician, Radiology Technician, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Physical Therapist Assistant | Laboratory Skills, Pharmacy, Radiology, Medical Technology, Physical Therapy |
| 2 | Education | Mathematics Tutor, Academic Tutor, Education Professional, Instructional Design Specialist, Academic Administrator | Tutoring, Teaching, Curriculum Development, Instructional Design, Educational Leadership |
| 3 | Logistics & Supply Chain | Supply Chain Assistant, Supply Chain Officer, Supply Chain Executive, Logistics Manager, Supply Chain Planning Manager | Warehouse Operations, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management |
| 4 | Healthcare/Medical – Frontline | Medical Officer, Registered Nurse, Nurse | Medicine, Healthcare, Nursing, Basic Life Support (BLS), Patient Safety |
| 5 | Social Media / Digital Marketing | Growth Manager, Social Media Coordinator, Chief Growth Officer, Social Media Strategist, Search Engine Optimization Specialist | Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, Keyword Research, Social Media Marketing |
| 6 | Finance | Tax Officer, Investor Relations Manager, Venture Partner, Private Wealth Management Specialist, Treasurer | Investor Relations, Investments, Banking, Income Tax, Treasury |
| 7 | Specialized Engineering | Game Developer, Backend Developer, Product Support Engineer, Software Engineering Specialist, Infrastructure Engineer | Go (Programming Language), Software Development, Game Development, Infrastructure, JavaScript |
| 8 | Customer Service | Client Service Associate, Client Service Analyst, Customer Care Officer, Customer Support Specialist | Client Services, Customer Experience, Customer Support, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Salesforce.com |
| 9 | Professional and Personal Coaches | Life Coach, Communication Coach, Career Coordinator, Leadership Coach | Facilitation, Personal Development, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Life Coaching |
| 10 | Online Content | Youtuber, Videographer, Film Producer, Content Coordinator, Video Editor | Content Strategy, Adobe Premiere Pro, Video Editing, Videography, Video Editing |
| 11 | Data Science | Data Science Specialist | Machine Learning, Python (Programming Language), Data Science, Natural Language Processing (NLP) |
| 12 | Social Worker | Medical Social Worker, Social Worker | Medical Social Work, Case Management, Social Services, Social Work, Individual Counselling |
| 13 | Mental Health Specialist | Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Mental Health |
| 14 | Business Development and Sales | Business Development Associate | Business Development, Market Research, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) |
| 15 | Cyber Security | Cyber Security Analyst | Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Information Security, Cybersecurity, Network Security, Machine Learning |
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